The Rev. William Greason on Capitol Hill today. (The Birmingham News/Mary Orndorff)

WASHINGTON
- A Birmingham pastor was among 400 black Montford Point Marines who were honored
in a formal ceremony on Capitol Hill today.

The
Rev. Bill Greason, 87, wore his red U.S. Marines veteran hat and sat in
Emancipation Hall along with his barrier-breaking colleagues to accept the
Congressional Gold Medal from House and Senate leaders, the nation's highest
civilian honor.

"I'm
just grateful that this is happening, that somebody saw fit to recognize some
of the things we've done and have been a part of this great nation," Greason
said in an interview before the ceremony. "We don't have any hard feelings
about it. We take whatever is presented or given and be thankful for it."

Greason,
also one of the few surviving players for the Birmingham Black Barons, arrived
on the shores of Iwo Jima with the 66th Supply Platoon on the fourth
day of the 1945 invasion. Several of his friends were among the 6,800 who died
there.

"I
think about them every time I hear the Marines' Hymn," Greason said.

The
Montford Point Marines were the first African-American Marines, named for where
they trained at Camp Montford Point in North Carolina around the time of World
War II.

Greason,
along with Willie Mays, came to Birmingham in 1948. In his rookie year, the
pitcher was part of the Black Barons team that played in the Negro League's
World Series.

Greason
was also honored in a ceremony earlier this year at Rickwood Field with U.S. Reps.
Spencer Bachus, R-Vestavia Hills, and Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham. He is pastor at Bethel Baptist Church Berney Points in West End.